The State Bar of Texas is committed to upholding the Texas Public
Information Act and ensuring public access to its records.
All State Bar of Texas records are available to the public
unless an exception to disclosure listed in the Public Information Act
(Texas Government Code Chapter 552) or other law
applies.

The State Bar posts reports and many other documents on
its website to support open government (see “Access Records
Online,” below). For example, statistics and analysis
information regarding the composition of the bar membership is also
available online at texasbar.com/research.
The State Bar is not required to perform legal research, answer legal
or other questions, or create new documents. For non-records requests
for customer service, submit your inquiry here.

Tips on Making a PIA Request:
Be specific about the records you seek. Consider providing the
following:

Whether you seek records regarding yourself or
another.

The time frame of the records, e.g., records from this year,
this most recent event, and/or provide a date range.

The department or people with whom you have coordinated that
maintain the records, if known.

Whether you seek public information or also confidential
information (typically excepted from disclosure under the Public
Information Act).

A phone number and/or email so we can contact you for
clarifications.

Review the records already online before sending your request.

To speak with someone about making a request to help refine the
search, call (512) 463-1555.

What to Expect When You Submit a Request:
This document
outlines the rights and responsibilities of requesters and governmental
bodies under the Texas Public Information Act and provides
additional information about the process. When you submit a request,
you can expect a response as promptly as possible, but if a response
will take more than 10 business days you will receive one or more of
the following:

A response with the records requested, which may include
redactions allowed by law.

A request for clarification or to narrow a voluminous request.

A request for proof of identification if seeking confidential
records on yourself, or proof of representation if representing an
individual.

A cost estimate for requests that will cost over $40 in staff
or computer resources. You will be given an opportunity to accept the
estimate and submit pre-payment before continued processing of your
request (see costs below).

A request for an Attorney General Ruling regarding the
applicability of exceptions under the Texas
Public Information Act.

A certification that more time is needed to compile a response
along with the estimated date and time the records are anticipated to
be ready.

Who is licensed as an
attorney to practice law in Texas? After passing the
bar exam and/or otherwise meeting the above qualifications
published by the Texas Board of Law Examiners,attorneys register online or by mailing a paper
registration card to the State Bar. For more information, go
here.

What contact and practice information must
attorneys post online? Attorneys must create and annually
update an online public profile on the State Bar website that
contains their license date, primary practice location, law school of
record, and out-of-state disciplinary information, if applicable.
Learn more here.

What grievance information is available about
attorneys? See “Grievance Complaints and Investigation
Files” below.

Where can I find the
Texas Bar Journal online? As the publication of record
for the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Journal
publishes significant public information of historical value about
State Bar activities, performance, policies, and finances, as well
as rules issued or amended by the Supreme Court of Texas and the Court
of Criminal Appeals of Texas affecting the practice of law in
Texas. To read the Texas Bar Journal, go here.
To search the online archive of the Texas Bar
Journal from 1938 to the present,
go here
and click the red “Search the Archive” button. For
help with archival searches of the online resources, email
the State Bar archivist at archives@texasbar.com.

Access Records in Person

Requests
for other State Bar of Texas records may be requested and picked up in
person. Records may not be available the same day as requested.
Appointments for pickup may be necessary.

Research and
Analysis of Demographics and Economic Trends (512) 427-1724

Historical Information
(512) 427-1311

State Bar
Main Phone (512) 427-1463

Toll-Free Phone (800)
204-2222

Access Records by
Written Request

Use the optional State Bar of Texas records
request form and follow the instructions by emailing piarequests@texasbar.com.

To obtain confidential records regarding yourself, please
provide proof of identification such as a copy of your government-issued
photo ID.

To obtain confidential records of someone you
represent, please provide a signed authorization from the person or
entity, proof of your legal representation, a court order
authorizing the State Bar of Texas to release the records, or
an explanation of your authority to obtain the confidential
records.

For records regarding a person other than you, that
information may be confidential by law and the State Bar may not be
authorized by law to release such information without a signed
authorization from that person.

How to Submit Your
Written Request Send the required information to make a
request by mail, email attachment, or fax, or deliver in person during
our business hours. If you submit the request electronically, be
sure to encrypt any confidential data.

State
Bar of Texas Public Information Act Requests 1414 Colorado
St. (check in at front desk) Austin, TX
78701

Cost of Copies

The State
Bar uses the public information cost rules set by
the OAG in determining the charges for providing copies
of public information or for making public information available for
inspection under the Public Information Act. Information may be
requested in paper or electronic format. Postage charges may apply.
Common charges for requests are:

Standard paper
copy: $0.10 per one-sided page

Personnel
time:

Programming: $28.50 per
hour

Manipulation of data: $15 per
hour

Other Staff Labor: $15 per hour

Overhead charge: 20% of personnel time
charge

If costs are estimated to exceed $40, the
requestor will be provided with an itemized estimate of charges and
required to accept the charges in writing before the request is
completed. The State Bar of Texas requires payment before the
information is provided. If actual costs differ from estimated costs,
overpayments or amounts owed will be reimbursed or billed as
appropriate.

Some State Bar records are
confidential by law and can be released only to specific people based
on
their role in a claim or file. Generally, you must have been directly
involved in the claim or case and in some cases it must be closed to
get a copy of a State Bar of Texas investigation record.

Examples of our confidential records include:

Personal Information on State Bar
Members—Attorney home addresses, home telephone numbers, email
addresses, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth are confidential
provided the member chooses to restrict public access and notifies the
State Bar of the choice. See Section 552.1176, Texas Gov’t
Code.

Grievance Complaints and Investigation
Files—The Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure contain
confidentiality provisions that govern the Office of Chief Disciplinary
Counsel’s ability to respond to media inquiries. See Rule 2.16 of
the Texas
Rules of Disciplinary Procedure. This rule outlines what
information is confidential at various stages of the disciplinary
process.

Generally, disciplinary proceedings of
an evidentiary panel and the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel are
confidential with the following exceptions. See Section 81.0752, Texas
Gov’t Code.

When disciplinary records
become public—If the evidentiary panel concludes and finds that
professional misconduct has occurred and imposes a public sanction, the
public sanction information is available.

The evidentiary panel's final judgment is a public record from
the date the judgment is signed, even if the judgment is subject to
appeal.

Once all appeals have been
exhausted, the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel may provide, upon
request, all statements, documents, and other information relating to
the disciplinary proceeding that came to the attention of the
evidentiary panel.

Public Court
Documents—If a disciplinary action is before a district court,
filed documents and information are public and available as in other
civil trials. Copies of documents are publicly available in the
district court files, many of which have online document retrieval
systems.

Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program
Communications—Generally, all communications with the Texas
Lawyers’ Assistance Program, or TLAP,
are confidential. See Texas Health and Safety Code, Section
467. There are limited exceptions to this confidentiality, such as when
an individual is a danger to himself or herself or others. You can
reach TLAP at (800) 343-8527 (TLAP). For more information, go here.

The State Bar of Texas complies with all laws and rules
on the release of confidential records, including who is and is not
entitled to certain information and whether some information must be
redacted (removed) from the record before it is released. If the record
you are seeking exists and you are entitled to it, then the State Bar
will review and redact it to ensure its release complies with
applicable laws and rules. The review process may include removing
specific personal and identifying information. However, members of law
enforcement agencies and certain other entities including those with
subpoena authority may get records without redaction for the
administration or enforcement of a law.

Access Statistics for External Research or
Studies

The State Bar of Texas encourages well-founded
research regarding its statistics, which are located online at texasbar.com/research.

The State Bar of Texas presents the information on this web site as a service to our members and other Internet users. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice. Moreover, due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance on information provided by outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content at this site or at other sites to which we link. Contact